Panhandle People: Woman named Matron of the Year

Jewelle L. Allen was named Matron of the Year at the 111th grand session of the Masonic Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, Prince Hall Affiliation. Ceremonies were in June in Fort Worth.

Allen is the matron of Superior 214 OES and grand deputy of District 21.

Army Lt. Burk Whittenburg II of Savannah, Ga., was redeployed to Bosnia to train replacements. He is due to rotate back in October.

Whittenburg is the husband of Shelbi Whittenburg and the father of Coleman Whittenburg of Amarillo. His parents are Carol and Burk Whittenburg of Amarillo.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Gary D. Locke of Pampa is participating in a 4-month Western Pacific deployment on the Navy's only mine countermeasures support ship, USS Inchon, a Navy news release said.

Locke is an electrician on the Inchon.

The son of Teresa Locke of Pampa and Kelly Locke of Amarillo, he is the grandson of Phyllis Marshall of Matador and the late Alton Marshall and Bill and Wanda Locke of Stinnett. He is the great-grandson of Jessie Gipson of Shamrock.

Debbie Hedley and Tery Oldham received the Panhandle Restaurant Association Foodservice Employee of the Year award for hard work and dedication and their role in the Texas restaurant industry, an association news release said.

Hedley has been a baker at Schlotzsky's Deli in Amarillo for nearly seven years. Oldham has been a server and floor supervisor for Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy in Amarillo for the past 10 years.

Stevenson graduated from Victory Academy in 1997. He is the son of Ronald Stevenson of Amarillo.

Bob Altman completed The Boy Scouts of America's Professional Level 3 training course at the National Boy Scouts of America's Professional Training Center at Westlake.

Classes were taught by national council teachers and experts and are conducted for Scout professionals from all parts of the United States. The national chief Scout executive taught one of his classes.

Altman has been involved with Scouting for 19 years and has served as the Golden Spread Council's development director since March 1999.

Michael Lenz, a district executive for the Boy Scouts of America, returned from the Center of Professional Development in Irving, where he completed Level 3 of his professional training.

Lenz is a Venturing executive in the Golden Spread Council, where he works with community youth ministers, assisting and providing outdoor and High Adventure programs. Venturing, a co-ed program for ages 14-20, challenges youth in the development of leadership and team-building skills.

Big John Arnn of Childress competed in the "State Transit Roadeo" in Austin and won first place, according to information sent from the institution. He also won the regional title at Levelland.

Arnn was judged on personal appearance and took a written test. He completed a bus obstacle course comprised of 11 exercises and was judged on each exercise. He has been with Panhandle Transit for more than a year and is captain of the Childress Fire Department.

Dr. Howard Cassada, DDS, of Amarillo was named as a finalist for Catholic Charities USA's 2001 National Volunteer of the Year Award, according to information sent from the institution.

The finalists, chosen from more than 30 nominations from local agencies, were honored for exemplifying the spirit and mission of Catholic Charities in reducing poverty, supporting families, empowering communities by helping individuals, families or communities meet their needs, addressing issues, eliminating oppression and building a just and compassionate society.

The award will be presented to Cassada at the organization's Annual Conference and Sections Meeting on Sept. 9 in Newark, N.J.

Cassada is a retired dentist and helped Catholic Family Service Inc. secure dental care for thousands of low-income and elderly people in the community, the information stated. His research and outreach resulted in the Community Dental Clinic.

The facility is located in a donated building with utilities and janitorial services and eight state-of-the-art dental stations.

In a year and a half, the clinic has seen 1,126 patients, who received 4,173 procedures valued at more than $400,000.

Navy Seaman Larry L. Davis returned from a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, home ported at Norfolk, Va.

Davis is the husband of Karissa Davis of Amarillo.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ernesto Sotelo was promoted to his current rank while serving with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, Marine Aircraft Group 16, Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, Calif.

Sotelo joined the Marine Corps in September 1999. He is the son of Luz E. Trevizo of El Paso and Luis A. Sotelo of Amarillo.